Black Men Executed in Harrisburg
Civil War Veteran Story Leads to Black Men Executed in Harrisburg
I wasn’t even looking for this story when I found it (which is typical) I was looking for a Civil War Veteran probably called James Preston– But, researching African American History in Central Pennsylvania can be like that–Sometimes… Here’s what I found! This drawing of two Black Men Executed in Harrisburg in 1874.
Was one of the Civil War Veterans buried in Lincoln Cemetery one of the Black Men executed in Harrisburg in 1874? Was John Preston involved in the Behm murder?
I was searching for background information on John Preston, a Civil War Veteran, with an elusive background, when I found him on trial for the murder of an old white farmer. John Preston, who is buried in Harrisburg’s Lincoln Cemetery.
Confirmed Executed in Harrisburg
While wander-researching the internet for African American History in Central Pennsylvania– a tantalizing morsel of history was revealed to me– in the form of an antique book that was once for sale on an auction site.
The image above was a contemporaneously drawn sketch, credited to a photograph taken in the Dauphin County Jail by La Rue Lemer the 24th of February 1874. It shows the likeness of two African American men: Lewis Rosentine & John Moody. These two African American Men, John Moody & Lewis Rosentine, were hung until dead on the 9th of July 1874.
How had John Preston been caught up in the murder trial of John Moody & Lewis Rosentine? Follow SavingOurAncestorsLegacy on Facebook and/or Subscribe for more about John Preston, Lewis Rosentine, ad John Moody in upcoming posts on the SOAL Blog!
